Group sues owners of mine in Tuscaloosa, Jefferson counties

Lawsuit cites water pollution

Published: Thursday, April 25, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 11:37 p.m.

A clean water advocacy group has filed a lawsuit against the owners of Shannon Mine, which operates in Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties.

Black Warrior Riverkeeper filed the suit in U.S. District court Wednesday, based on self-reported violations by Shannon LLC. The surface coal mine is north of Abernant and near the Tuscaloosa-Jefferson county line.

The suit claims that the mine exceeded its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit, which permits 76 water pollution discharges at the 6,321-acre mine, according to a news release sent by the organization Wednesday afternoon.

Black Warrior Riverkeeper stated in the suit that the mine has had 758 water pollution violations, primarily for selenium, which in larger amounts can be toxic to people and wildlife.

Selenium can result in poisoning of fish, birds and other wildlife. The mine has also reported violations for iron and total suspended solids, according to Black Warrior Riverkeeper.

“Shannon Mine is polluting tributaries to Valley Creek in violation of its Clean Water Act permit, upstream of where thousands of people recreate each year,” stated Riverkeeper Nelson Brooke. “That’s not the way it is supposed to work, so we aim to hold Shannon, LLC accountable to the law.”

The pollutants were discharged into an unnamed tributary to Little Blue Creek, Little Blue Creek, Blue Creek and Lick Branch, according to the suit. Those streams flow into Valley Creek, a tributary of Bankhead Lake on the Black Warrior River. Valley Creek and Bankhead Lake are popular fishing, swimming, canoeing and kayaking destinations, Brooke stated.

“Our objective in filing suit today is to ensure that Shannon Mine is quickly returned to permit compliance to end the discharge of selenium and other pollutants to affected tributaries of the Black Warrior River,” Black Warrior Riverkeeper Eva Dillard stated in the release.

A woman who answered the phone at Shannon’s Jasper office Wednesday said she did not know of an attorney or company official who could comment.

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